The Housing & Finance Institute researches on a board range of housing and finance related matters, including on budget matters and through our business market sentiment work. Our research and publications respond to issues arising in the marketplace, business and local government.

The HFi research papers have been extensively covered in the national and trade press.

Publications have included the following:

18 OCT 2017

The Housing Problem in London: a broken planning system

The HFi's report calls for a radical planning shake-up to solve London's housing crisis that would professionalise decision-making in the planning system, increase the supply of land suitable for house building and allow substantially greater densities of homes in the capital.

The paper sets out a ten-point plan to get London building again. There needs to be:

An evidence-based debate and recognition that there are trade-offs.

Recognition that the problem will not be solved by building on brownfield land alone.

Recognition that the higher the tax on house building through planning obligations the fewer houses will be built. 30 per cent of a large number can be much higher than 50 per cent of a small number.

A change of policy towards land use, including the Green Belt, and permitting higher densities.

Strong penalties on public sector bodies that fail to release surplus land.

Planning conditions to be reduced significantly, costed and deemed to be discharged within seven days of certification by the developer, unless the local authority has clear evidence that the conditions have not been complied with.

Ensuring that planning decisions in local authorities are joined-up with wider policy objectives.

Planning decisions should be taken by relatively small panels, who have received appropriate training, and representatives of an area in which a development would take place should be excluded from voting on that decision.

Simplification of the Community Infrastructure Levy and S.106 requirements particularly for social housing.

Political leadership in individual local authorities, without which the problem will never be solved and which is a pre-requisite for addressing the other issues.